Tess of the Ice Age
by Buttercupfox
Summary: My first ever fanfic! A teenage girl enters the ice age and meets the gang...Weird I know... Rated T for blood.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi, This is my first fanfic. I hope you enjoy this story. Please R&R and I appreciate critical advice. Sorry I am rubbish at speeches:( (Gulps)**

_**Chapter one. The trip.**_

I smoothed out the creases in my brown jacket.

I trudged down the pavement to the traffic lights. My little sister, Darcy, was pulling on my hand.

"Darcy!" I snapped, tugging my hand away. "Will you stop it!"

I felt out of place here in Montana, with everyone looking at me. I could image their thoughts.

"_Who's that stuck up girl with the English accent_?"

I pulled my hood up and applied more red lipstick to my overly made up face.

My family had moved from England to America two weeks ago. I despised them for doing so. My whole life was in England! My best friends, Lucy and Jenny. My school. My home...My home. My fifteen years of life had been lived at our country house, _Brielstone Hall_. But now...

I shivered as the rain that was heavily falling splashed onto my shoulders.

Darcy hadn't been so upset about the move. Then she was eight and had a job making friends at the best of times.

I hated our new house. It was big and cold and creepy. Full of cobwebs and spiders. I shuddered, I _detested_ spiders. With their spindly legs and quick movement.

"Mummy!" whined Darcy. "Can I have some ice cream?"

My mother sighed. "No dear, it's pouring with rain".

"That's OK, I like wet ice cream!"

"Darcy! You heard your mother, NO!" said my father, in a no-nonsense way.

Darcy glowered. She could really be a little brat if she didn't get her own way.

"Please try and make this an enjoyable trip, Darcy". My mother said, shaking the water off her black and green umbrella.

"Tess isn't winging". Pointed out my father, looking at me. "Surprisingly".

I ignored him and carried on, my head held down.

I pushed my short blonde hair out of my face. I didn't look like anyone in my family. They all had red hair and blue eyes. I had blonde hair in a bob cut and dark, olive green eyes. Mum said I took after my great aunt Molly or something.

Darcy had her waist length red hair in a plait today. She was messing around with the bobble in it.

We were headed to the local museum to see some rare coins which had been recently unearthed. I could barely contain my excitement...you know...I mean we had to wait in a three hour queue to see some coins. We had coins at home, why couldn't we just stare inanely at those?

We arrived at the traffic lights. Mum was holding Darcy's hand. The man was on red at this particular moment.

We waited. It didn't change. We waited some more. Then some more. Then some more.

"This seems rather hopeless!" announced my farther. "The lights appear to be broken".

I felt like saying._"Oh well done dad! Ten out of ten for intelligence!_" I didn't. I hoped the broken lights would deter my parents from the stupid museum. No such luck.

There were no cars on the road at this point, so we made a dash for it.

"Awww!" wailed Darcy, as we stepped onto the pavement the other side of the road. "Couldn't you have got hit, Tess? Then we'd have to go to hospital instead of the boring museum!"

I scowled at her. "If you'd have got hit, everyone in the car would have been crushed when it hit your head!" I snapped. Pleased with the comment.

Darcy stamped a red shoe in temper. She wrenched the zip on her pink fleece up all the way over her chin.

My mum glared at us. "What did I say girls?"

I mumbled something and carried on in front.

After about ten minutes, we walked up the huge stone steps of the museum. To both sides, there were statues of unicorns rearing.

A queue of about twenty people were stood inside. I lowered my hood and peered to the side. I could see an elderly man, holding a small velvet cushion with several gold things on. He was showing it to a large woman with a pink wig and a chubby Pekinese dog under on arm.

I groaned.

We waited and waited and waited and finally got, at long last, to see the fabulous coins.

Five grubby bits of gold. My parents cooed and gushed over them. I stared at my red and white trainers. Darcy kept trying to touch the coins until the rather grumpy man holding them told us to move on so the next family could look.

"Tess", said my mum. "We're going to look around a bit. You and Darcy have a wander and meet us back here in one hour".

"Don't make me take Bratface!" I cried. "Please mum! I'll do double homework tonight! I'll do..."

"Don't be so silly Tess!" snapped my mother. "Take Darcy, she'll behave herself. Won't you Darce?"

Darcy smiled sickly. "Yes mummy!"

I stuck two fingers down my throat and pretended to puke.

My parents handed us each ten dollars, then went off. Abandoning me with...it.

"I want to look at the monkeys!" howled the brat, dragging me into the natural history section.

We looked at the stuffed monkeys, then at some zebras. Then lions, then giraffes, then some antelope.

"Buy me an animal lollipop Tess!" screeched Darcy, pointing to a line of brightly coloured lollipops along the leaflet desk. Each with a picture of an animal on.

"Why don't you buy it yourself!" I snapped. She had the same money as me, for goodness sake.

"Coz!" Darcy screwed up her freckled face. "I'll scream!"

I clenched my teeth and bought her a yellow lollipop. I turned around.

"Here you are, you little..." I froze. Darcy had disappeared.

"Great! That little rat!" I ran back to the monkeys. She wasn't there. I looked everywhere for her.

Then I saw a pink fleece top shoot round a corner. I sprinted after it.

"Oh!" I gasped as I rounded the corner. In front of me, was a bright green light.

I figured it must be a faulty lamp or something. I growled to myself as I saw the brat dart out from a pile of boxes on account of seeing me, and dash into the green light.

I followed, not wanting a screaming row with my parents for losing Darcy.

As I entered the light, there was a blast of freezing coldness, then there was nothing under me but air. I screamed and fell.

"Owwww!" I yelled, as I crashed to the ground. Then I blinked in amazement. I was lying in deep white snow.

I scrambled up, wiping the white powder off my jeans.

"Where on earth am I?" I said out loud.

"Darcy?" I yelled. "Darcy! Is this some kind of trick? Because it isn't funny!"

I turned in a full circle, trying hard not to panic. "it's OK, it has to be some sort of realistic exhibit". I told myself. "Yeah. That's what it is...Darcy probably knew and just dragged me into it somehow. I bet..."

I was cut off by a blood curdling growl from behind me.

I gulped and slowly turned around...

**Well, how'd I do?Feel free to jab;)_ Buttercupfox._**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hiya...really sorry for the wait, I kinda forgot 'bout this story. It's just slipped my mind with rubbish homework (boo!) and other harassing stuff. Anyway, hope you enjoy and THANKS so much for all the comments. I'm cuffed;D**

I squeezed my eyes shut, expecting to see some awful creature. I slowly opened then on account of feeling no impact.

There was nothing there. I sighed heavily. _Thanks a lot, Darcy!_ I thought, with malicious intent on my sister's behalf.

Suddenly the growl came again, this time from over a low hill. "Argh!" I almost jumped out of my skin, carefully I tip-toed up the snowy bank.

My heart pounding, I looked over the brow of the hill. I gasped in shock, my breath catching in my throat.

About three...well they looked like hyenas, but they were _huge_, loads bigger than any I've ever seen...counting TV, were sat in the snow. They were playing with some sort of shrew, tossing the terrified creature up in the air ad then catching it by the tail and laughing hysterically.

I swallowed, then I shook my head. "This is an exhibit!" I told myself, sternly. "Those aren't_ real hyenas_, just robots or something!" Though the certainly _looked_ real...

I slapped myself across the cheek. "Snap out of it, Tess!" I scolded myself. "Don't be a total..."

Suddenly to my amazement, one of the hyenas suddenly spoke.

"Hey, hey guys!" the hyena said in a husky growl. "Mom said, don't play with food too long! It goes off!"

The other hyenas muttered under their breath.

I snorted._ Come ON!_ I thought._ Talking animals, now that's too much! I mean what's this aimed at? Five year olds?_

As this was obviously aimed at babies or really young kids, I decided to play the heroine and save the weird, robot shrew thing.

I took a deep breath, then jumped to my feet, screaming. "Unhand the prisoner you scabby beasts!"

Then I charged down the hill.

The hyenas jumped up in shock, the lead one growled as I raced towards them.

Suddenly my foot caught on something and I went flying.

"Ow!" I screamed as I landed on my side in cold snow.

I groaned and looked at my stinging ankle. A trickle of blood ran from a gash.

It felt like someone had smashed a glass bottle over my head. This _wasn't_ an exhibit or virtual reality. The hyenas weren't robots.

It was real.

I scrambled up, my head spinning in confusion. I saw the hyenas look at each other.

"Get that human!"

I screamed and fell over again. "Animals don't talk!" I screamed to myself, I was going mad. I must have have hit my head hard!

I didn't really have time to think though, as the brawny hyenas were charging up the hill at me.

I shrieked and scrabbled up the slope on all fours.

I reached the top and jumped up, then one of the hyenas slammed into me.

I screamed and flew forwards. I landed on my chest, I scrambled around to see the first hyena pounce.

I shielded my face with my arm.

Suddenly there was a loud roar. I opened my one eye to see a orange blur fly through the air and land on the first hyena.

I scrabbled backwards, trembling.

The orange blur was large cat. It had two long fangs protruding from it's upper jaw.

I knew what it was, but I didn't really believe it.

"A sabre toothed tiger!" I gasped.

The tiger pinned the hyena down and bit it's flank.

The hyena squealed, then with a howl of rage, flung the tiger into a nearby thick tree.

I winced as I heard a loud crack as the tiger smashed into the tree trunk. The big cat gave a yowl of agony and slid to the ground. Blood turned the snow red.

The injured hyena glared at me, then snapped his jaws at the others and limped off.

"TESS!" I whirled around as I heard shrill scream.

I turned to see Darcy running towards me, her red hair loose and her eyes wide.

"Darcy!" I hugged her tightly as she fell on me.

"You stupid little...!" I was so relieved to see her.

I pushed her off and shakily climbed to my feet,, my legs felt like jelly.

I crept over to the tiger, he groaned.

"Urm..." I hadn't really had a conversation with an animal before, so it felt kinda weird. I swore I heard the hyenas talk. I shook my head. Na, I was nuts.

Or maybe the light must have allowed me to speak to animals...

"Shut up Tess!" I scolded myself, slapping my face. "You'll be locked up soon!"

The tiger tried to sit up, he yelped sharply and collapsed.

"Hang on", I said gently. "You'll make it worse!"

The tiger was sweating, he glared at me, his green eyes narrowed. "Stupid...human!" he groaned.

I jumped, I punched myself over the head. This was not happening! I was hearing an animal speak!

I gaped, "Uh...uh...I...I...what?"

The tiger started. "How can you talk to us?" he demanded, wincing.

I shook my head. "I d...don't know".

The tiger struggled up, I could see his back leg was bleeding. He howled as he moved.

He looked at me, his eyes showing fear. "What's wrong with me?" he whimpered.. "Why can't I move?"

I blinked. "I don't know". My word of the day.

I bent down next to him and gingerly reached out. I softly touched his fur, it was soft and warm. I examined his back leg up at his thigh. A deep gash was sliced into the flesh. I felt lower down.

The tiger suddenly roared and lurched forwards.

I jumped back into Darcy, who was watching, a scared look on her face.

"Sorry, I'm sorry!" I cried.

The tiger growled. "Don't! Mention it! Now what's wrong?"

I frowned.

"I _think_ you've twisted your back leg, quite badly. And your thigh's cut".

The tiger stared at me.

"Why did you...thank you for saving me". I said, still not really sure why I was having a conversation with extinct animal, again.

The big cat shrugged. "I hate that stupid hyena anyway! He's always skulking around like he owns the place!"

I didn't know it the tiger was speaking to me or himself. I just stared like a lemon.

Suddenly I had an idea. "If you come with me...I can get someone to help you", Then I stopped, realising the facts of taking a sabre toothed tiger home.

I shuddered., thinking of home. I'd lost the light Darcy and I had come through now.

"If I ever get home", I muttered under my breath.

The tiger glowered, then he heaved himself up. "I don't need your help!" He took a step forwards, then his eyes widened. He shrieked and collapsed, shaking. His eyes full of panic.

"What's...wrong!" he muttered.

I stared helplessly. It was growing dark and Darcy was snivelling now. What could _I _do?

**Oh well...EPIC FAIL :(**


	3. Chapter 3

Hi, thanks for the reviews:p I kinda rushed the last chapter, lol.

I will add the other characters in time. Don't worry, I won't leave them out;)

This is a very short chap, as I am on a borrowed computer:/

I gazed down at the tiger. I made up my mind. This would be very tricky, but I figured I might be able to manage it, if I was careful.

"I'll take you back to our house, just to get some medication!" I said firmly. Although I had no idea how I was going to fulfill my promise.

"How do we get back?" whined Darcy.

I ignored her.

The tiger looked at me. "What's a house?" He demanded, managing to finally stand up, holding his back leg off the ground.

"Erm, it's something humans...er from where I come from, live in". I didn't go into explaining time travel. I didn't even understand myself.

"How are we going to get HOME!" yelled Darcy, she stamped her foot.

"Oh will you SHUT UP!" I hissed.

Darcy went pink and screamed at the top of her lungs in temper. I ignored her, little brat!

I had seen the green light, I glimpsed it again, up a steep ledge. I didn't tell Darcy, she'd only run away or worse.

"Can you walk?" I asked the tiger, who had turned quite white.

Pain, I assumed.

He nodded, he had a dark strip of spiky fur down his back, kinda like a Mohawk.

"Where are we going?" the tiger demanded, sceptically. I need to tell my..." He paused, thinking.

"My er...pack will wonder where I am!"

I pulled my coat up over my chin. "Don't worry, we'll be back. I promise. I can make your leg better!"

I hoped I could, I hoped my (twisted) theory was correct and it wasn't broken instead.

The tiger yelped with each step. I cringed. "I'm sorry, we have to go up that slope, to the ledge". I felt so mean making him walk all that way.

I paused. "Hey! You didn't tell me your name!"

"You neither".

"Oh, I'm Tess, and this is Darcy...Darcy The Spoiled Brat!"

The tiger grinned, the first time I'd seen him smile. He looked at the small figure of my sister, swaggering up the sloping hill.

"Diego" he said, still gazing at Darcy.

I found myself smiling. I quickly got control of my features.

Diego looked at me, he sort of sneered. "Why've you gone red?" He snickered. "You look like a tomato!"

I froze. "I am not!" I sort of liked Diego, he was kind of cute, in an obnoxious way.

He was chalk white, his eyes fell gaze fell to the ground, I could see his chest going in and out heavier than it should be doing.

I hoped I could do something, moreover, I hoped I could pull this off.

How sad am I. Oh Gawd, I am a obsessed fangirl! (wails) Oh well, there are worse things. (A vain attempt at an excuse!)


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi, I'm back:D Sorry for the break. Thanks so much for all the reviews.**

**My laptop has broken unfortunately, so I am on the house computer, which is strongly fought over! So my chapters might not be as long until my laptop is fixed:)**

**(Diego) "Is that why you're writing such _short _rubbish chapters 'bout me...as opposed to LONG rubbish chapters 'bout me?"**

**(Me) "Arch! How did you escape out of the basement?"**

**(Diego) "I broke the door down".**

**(Me, hissing) "_Well get back down there! I don't want people finding out I've kid...er (tiger-napped) you!"_**

**(Diego) "Shan't!"**

**(Me, getting whip out) "Oh yes you shall!"**

**(Diego, slinking back down into the cellar) "Someone is gonna come looking for me!"**

"**Me) "Shut up! Or no ice cream for you!"**

**(Diego) "Noooooo!"**

**(Me) "Ha ha ha..."**

**OK I am completely bonkers:)...anyway, chapter four, please review:)**

"Aiiii!" I fell through the green light and landed on the hard tile floor of the museum.

Darcy had already got up and sat on top of a large flower table pot.

Diego landed beside me, he scrambled up, his paws skidding on the white tiles.

"Whoa!" Diego yelped, he almost fell over.

I jumped up, seeing a young couple coming towards us.

On impulse, I shoved Diego as hard as I could, he bounded behind a large display of plants.

I clamped a hand over Darcy's mouth and grinned sweetly at the young man and woman.

They stared at us. I continued the simpering smile until they had gone.

When the couple were out of sight, I let Darcy go. Diego slunk out from behind the plants.

"What is this place?" Diego whispered, looking around.

"Urm...It's called a museum", I explained. How do you explain about a museum to a sabre toothed tiger?

Darcy suddenly bit my hand.

"Ow!"I screamed, whipping my arm back. "What the heck did you do _that_ for?"

Darcy sneered, "Teach you to put your smelly old hand on my mouth!"

I fumed. "Why you stupid little...!"

"Teresa! Darcy!" We all spun around to find my parents coming towards us.

Diego backed up behind the plants as I shooed him with my hands.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of the clock on the museum's wall.

It was am hour and a half after we'd last been in the museum. So much for the, time travel taking up none of our time zone up, theory!

"Tess! Where have you been?" snapped my mother. "We've been looking everywhere for you! Honestly you're setting a bad example for your little sister!"

"Sorry, I guess we got a bit lost". I replied, giving Darcy a (don't say a word) look.

Darcy slowly nodded. Then she ran to mum, screaming.

"Mum, mum! We went to the ice age and Tess brought back a sabre toothed tiger called Diego and she doesn't want me to tell you coz she's hiding him behind those plants and he's got a hurt leg and..."

"That's nice, Darcy", said my mum, calmly.

"It's true!" howled Darcy.

"That's enough, Darcy!" said my dad firmly, giving her a look.

Darcy stamped a shoe and pouted.

I rolled my eyes.

"We'll talk about this at home!" said dad, looking at me hard.

I started to follow them, I hung back and hissed to Diego. "Follow us! But stay out of sight! Lord only knows what will happen if people see a sabre toothed tiger strolling down the pavement!"

Diego stared at me, then crept after me.

**Sorry about that chapter. I have really bad writers block:(**

**Really, really annoying!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi, me again. Yep, I'm back. Sorry everyone for the break. I've been busy.**

**OK, this chapter is short, basically because my laptop is in for repairs. Also I have really bad writers block (it went away, and has now come back, just as I'm about to do this! Typical!) so that's why this chapter is utterly rubbish. I'll probably redo it at a later date as I hate it. But anyway, here's something for now.**

**Buttercupfoxxxxxx**

**Disclaimer, I do not own ice age or any of it's characters. I only own my own Ocs.**

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><p>Diego limped through the undergrowth, every now and then, he paused to take the weight off his leg. Suddenly he saw a child's face peering at him, through a hole in the shrubs. He froze.<p>

The child, a young boy with curly brown hair, giggled and ran back to his mother, who was in the midst of making a picnic lunch.

"Good boy, Timothy dahling!" crowed the woman, with a southern accent. "No made up stories all week, you can have some yummy desert!"

"Mommy, mommy!" screamed Timothy, waving his arms. "A sabre toothed tiger! In the bushes!"

The woman stood up abruptly. "That's it Timothy!" she shrieked. "What have I told you about lying! There's no cake for you!" Then she marched him away.

Meanwhile, I was painfully aware of Diego behind us. I glanced at Darcy, who was still bawling, and rolled my eyes. My good lord she was a brat! They should probably make her into one of those highly obnoxious dolls, y'know, the pink clad ones with ridiculous ideas about life and what not.

Thank goodness we hadn't brought the car, Diego'd have a rough time fitting in. I giggled at the thought.

Soon we passed under the evergreen fur trees that led to our drive. A strong wind had sprung up and was whipping the boughs around. They creaked and moaned as we walked underneath.

Our house seemed to sway in the wind. Blimey, it was so old, I wouldn't have been surprised if it fell down. Not that I'd be too upset if it landed on Darcy. Haha!

Mum,, Dad, and IT went through the rickety front door, paint peeling off, exposing the previous colour underneath.

I hung back, as I saw Diego emerge from the corner of my eye from the drive bushes. He hobbled up to me like a lame duck.

"Whoa, you...sleep in here?" he mused, looking at the house.

_Oh flipping fantastic!_ I thought, bitterly._ Our house is so bad, even a sabre toothed tiger from the bloody ice age doesn't want to be seen dead here! Wonderful_

"You don't have to rub it in!" I snapped, folding my arms. "It just needs some T.L.C!"

Diego made no comment, and followed me around the back. I opened the rear door and let him in.

We tip-toed over the kitchen carpet (yep, this wacko house even had a carpet in the kitchen!) and I hustled him up the stairs, just before my parents could find me. I could hear them calling.

In my bedroom, which hadn't been decorated yet and was pretty yuck, I cleaned his leg with some water from the upstairs bathroom and wrapped a bandage around it. I was right, It was sprained.

I decided, upon hearing my parents cries getting more and more angry, to go. I motioned for Diego to be quiet, then went to leave.

"I'll be back in a second!" I assured him, my hand on the door knob.

Diego nodded. "Tess", he suddenly said, looking slightly embarrassed.

"Uh-huh".

"Thanks", he smiled at me. I went red and turned the doorknob. Then it was like an explosion. Don't ask me.

Two small furry shapes hurled themselves at my face as the door opened. They were rather rat-like. I shrieked as they attached themselves to my head.

"Diego!" they howled. "Run!"

I think they were his friends or something. Anyway, I panicked and ran backwards, them still clinging to me. I tripped over Diego, he cried out and fell backwards. We all crashed into the large window, there was the sound of shattering glass, then we all screamed in terror and fell.

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><p><strong>Yep, I know, that stank. I'm seriously debating whether to scrap this story and do something else. I had to delete my other one (By The Cove,) as I can't find the other part anywhere. Anyhows, cheers for all the reviews.<strong>

**Bcfxx**


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